Cullens forehead beaded with sweat. He twitched in the pale sunlight of the late morning. Nightmares besieged what was meant to be the few peaceful hours he had during his busy days. Kurana woke him.

"My love," she whispered. "My love, it's morning. Harding had made it to the Forbidden Oasis. I received word just this morning."

He sat up, groaning at the pain and effort it took. The corners of his eyes wrinkled as he squinted, not ready to brave the sunlight quite yet. He nodded. "I must get to work as well. Preparing for Adament has-," he paused to yawn. "Has got me busy from dawn to dusk, occasionally the following dawn." He opened his eyes slightly to gaze upon her. Smiling, he reminded her, "Stay safe. You know how I worry." He leaned in to kiss her but she pulled back.

She chuckled. "You taste vile in the morning."

He rose his eyebrows. "Do I?" A devilish grin stretched across his face. She made a break for the door, but he grabbed her wrist before she could stand. He pulled her onto the bed. She squealed with delight and found herself on her back with him hovering over her. He pinned both her hands and laughed. "Magic can't help you now! I will have that kiss!"

She whipped her head back and forth to avoid his lips, giggled. "No, no! Not on my lips!"

"I'll just have to kiss you elsewhere then!" He nuzzled her neck, kissing repeatedly.

She squirmed and moaned. Her spot. She didn't think he'd find it so quickly. On hearing her moan, he pulled back to face her with a look of pleasant surprise. This lasted only a moment before he resumed eagerly. The pleasure made her eyes roll and her breaths rapid. His hands released hers to roam as they pleased. They pushed up her shirt. Rough, callused palms scraped against her soft, twisting back, making her arch against him. She felt his manhood hardening at her inner thigh. Slow thrusts of his hips pushed her, seeming involuntary and instinctual.

"Commander," she muttered. Something felt off. It wasn't right. Today wasn't the day. She wasn't ready. Playful rough housing was one thing, this wasn't something she wanted or was prepared for. "Commander," she repeated.

He only growled hungrily in response. She wanted to speak up, but she couldn't find the words. The more they went on, the less freedom she felt to stop it.

He stopped suddenly. His jaw dropped. He looked angry. "Hands off her," she heard a voice say. She recognized that voice. Cullen backed away and stood at the foot of the bed. She scrambled up to see what was the matter. Behind Cullen, Cole stood with a dagger pointed to the back of his neck. Without taking his eyes off Cullen, he said, "Hands holding me, feeling fingers, not now. Will it hurt? Make it stop."

"Please, Cole!," she yelled. "Put down the knife! Please!"

His eyes grew forlorn as they settled on her. He lowered the dagger and explained, "But you needed help. You were scared, screaming for saving but silenced." He was struck on the jaw and sent reeling back. He quickly lost balance and fell. Cullen's face was red with rage.

Kurana knelt beside Cole. The breath had been knocked out of him. He was still gathering himself when she confronted Cullen. "Why?"

"He held a knife to my neck!," he shouted. "What did he mean scared-"

"Please stop shouting," she begged. "Please calm down." She was having a hard time staying strong. Too many emotions at one time; fear, relief, anger. She was flooded, filled, spilling over. It showed in her eyes.

Cullen sighed when he saw her tears. "My dear…" The anger returned when Cole started to rise shakily. "Take that… that demon out of here before I-" He shook his head. "Just go. We'll discuss it later."

Kurana took Coles stringy arm over her narrow shoulders. He walked with her out to the battlements, barely holding what little weight he had. "He hits hard," he commented. A bruise was already appearing on his jaw, swelling and darkening. "He thinks it doesn't hurt as much as it does." She sat him down on the steps. His hat fell off as they did.

"Cole you shouldn't have done that. I could've handled it," she assured him, examining the bruise more clearly. He winced when she touched it but didn't shy away.

"No, you wouldn't have," he replied. "You were worried if you said no, asked him to stop, he'd think you were weak, he wouldn't love you anymore."

"Sh, sh, sh," she urged. "Can you fight today?"

"He'll still love you if you say no." He picked up his hat and handed it to her. "If I wasn't there… if I was late… you would have been very sad. I need to be near you, just in case. 'Mother, not mother, teaching me words, and spells, and how to clip the herbs so they grow back. She wasn't there when he was. She wasn't there.'"

"You knew he wasn't malicious." She put his hat on over his flattened, blonde hair. It shaded them both from the morning light. "Why did you threaten him?"

He donned a face of contemplation, as though he were trying to find the right words. "It was what was needed. He was hurting you, whether he knew it or not." He pulled at a loose thread on his trousers. "It gets fuzzy, dark, can't think, just do." He cupped his face in his hands. "It hurts my head." Shaking out of it, he stood up, swaying but recovering balance. "I can fight today. I'll be fine. I can heal. I need to stay with you, to protect and provide, to help and heal."

The sand was unending. She'd never been in a place like this before. So much glittering dirt, like an hourglass the size of the world had broken and she was trudging through it. Unceasingly hot during the day and unceasingly cold at night She could feel Solas's eyes digging into her back, but chose to ignore it like a fly she hoped might go away. Their four shadows were thin giants the closer sunset came upon them. In the distance, she saw the hyenas. Unfortunately, they'd smelled her before she saw them. She whistled at Blackwall and nodded at the hyenas.

They were as big as ponies with monstrous teeth and blood thirsty red eyes. Three of them charged at her companions. Two attacked Blackwall, as predicted, but the other one was still charging at her. She frightened and lost her footing as it gained. It leapt at her and, as she braced for impact, she felt a splatter of hot blood on her face. Agonized screaming followed. Cole kneeled in front of her, his arm in the jaws of the beast. With his other arm, he repeatedly stabbed the beast in the neck.

With a squelch, Blackwall's sword pushed through the top of the hyena's skull, skillfully avoiding Cole's arm while instantly killing the hyena. Cole shook and groaned through grit teeth. "It hurts. It hurts."

"You're not meant to take a blow like that," Blackwall grumbled. "Your armor's not thick enough." He pulled Cole to his feet by his uninjured arm.

Solas untied the leather padding and drew back his sleeve, revealing two gashes. He tilted his head and glared at Kurana. "I'm to need more supplies if I'm to heal this."

Cole shook his head. "Please help. Please! It hurts."

Kurana shifted uncomfortably, refusing to look Solas in the eyes. She turned her eyes to the setting sun. "We should be heading back anyway. Keep pressure on it. We'll be back at camp in no time."

Kurana shivered by the fire. Her inability to keep warm worried her. Tonight seemed a particularly cold night. No matter how close she got to the fire, she couldn't seem to get warm. "I need a word with you, Herald." Solas was glowering at her again, this time his face ominously lit by the fire. He called her Herald as a form of condescension, she knew that much. He knew she didn't worship human gods. "Alone, if that is possible."

She was hesitant to leave the fire and brave the cold away from the camp, but she didn't want the confrontation of refusing him. She crossed her arms to keep warm and wondered how he remained still as a statue, not trembling from the cold. The trembling made her look weak. It took a great amount of muscle control to stop.

"Did you bind him?," he questioned, his breath hanging in the air.

"Who?" She was almost about to give up her effort of not shaking. "What?"

"You heard me the first time." He shook his head and faced the moon. "You have an adoration for the moon. You look at it every night before you go to bed and wish it well. It cannot respond because it holds no personal connection to any one being." He faced her again, face lit in silver. "You are perverting him from his purpose. He was made with one simple thought in mind and that is compassion and yet, all he does is follow you around and do as your heart desires. You want protection, he dives in front of danger. You want counseling, he appears at any moment."

"I'm sorry. I don't know how to stop it. If I could, I would." She wasn't sure if she was lying or not. The feeling of him never leaving her side, whether she knew it or not, was unsettling. However, he always came without her even needing to ask and knew just what was wrong. "He said I have the most hurt, so I need to most help."

"When a spirit is turned from its purpose to an unhealthy one, it becomes a demon and becomes harder to convince that it is otherwise the longer it remains that way." He began walking back to the camp. "Obsession is an unhealthy purpose, Herald. Stop him while you can. You're the only one who can."

She retired to her tent as soon as she got back. Though huddled under the blanket, she still shivered and lie awake. "You need to go by the fire. You'll freeze to death in here. 'Freezing river when we played. Didn't want to go in, but Myra asked. She wanted me to be free.'" Cole crouched beside her and shook her.

"No, Cole," she whispered and turned over so she wouldn't face him, but he was there on the other side as well.

"Do you need help out there?"

"No." She turned over again. This time he wasn't on the other side waiting. "Solas insists that you stop helping me. I've lived my life nineteen years without you. I can keep going." A bandaged arm snaked around her waist and pulled her back into him.

"If you won't seek out the warmth, I'll have to bring the warmth to you," he stated plainly. "'Myra and I under covers, holding hands, telling secrets. Father insists. It's what keeps us alive.'" Kurana wanted to protest this, but she already grew tired, faster than usual. She knew it was him. "Go to sleep. It's alright. I don't need to."